In current article and bottle processing businesses, usually there are many thousands of articles or bottles that must be processed or handled rapidly for a variety of purposes, such as for placing the articles or bottles in a case, for withdrawing them from a case, or for other action. Naturally, it is very important that the article processing apparatus function automatically, rapidly and safely to handle a large number of articles in a minimum amount of time. Furthermore, it is desirable in many instances that the apparatus be adapted to function with articles of similar but varying shapes and sizes with a minimum, or no adjustment in the apparatus.
The apparatus of the invention is particularly designed for engaging bottles or articles in a case and for removing such articles therefrom for transfer to other apparatus for further processing or action.
There have been a number of patents issued heretofore on bottle grippers and on the processing of articles by automatic processing machines. Types of bottle grippers that have been used commercially and used successfully for some years include the structures shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,125,369 and 3,125,370. Another type of article gripper is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,285 and this is a self actuating gripper normally positioned in longitudinally aligned rows for article engagement. The foregoing are representative patents on previous prior art structures, and the apparatus disclosed includes spring actuated gripper jaws that have functioned relatively satisfactorily. However, the gripper fingers or jaws do not have the positions thereof positively controlled at all times and little or no variation in the size of the article processed can be made. Also, it is possible that articles or bottles being carried or engaged by the gripper fingers might be released therefrom at undesirable times or in undesirable manners.
The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved article gripper apparatus particularly characterized by its ability to control, positively, the position of the article gripper jaws or fingers at all times, both for article engaging and article release movement actions.
Another object of the invention is to provide special cams and cam follower members in article grippers for controlling article engaging action by relative movement between bottle gripper jaws and an associated frame means.
Another object of the invention is to provide an article gripper device which will automatically engage with articles that may vary somewhat in size and shape without any adjustment in the apparatus; and to compensate automatically for size variation in the articles processed.
Another object of the invention is to provide article gripper devices that can be made from plastic materials and be of sturdy construction whereby the devices will provide a long service life with a minimum of maintenance thereon, the devices also having a relatively few parts therein.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.